Died this day

Sodomy in history, March

1778 - Gotthold Frederick Enslin was the first American soldier dismissed from the army for homosexuality.

1848 — Virginia changes the penalty for sodomy to 1-5 years for free persons and keeps the death penalty for slaves.

1878 — Virginia raises the minimum penalty for sodomy from 1 to 2 years.

1890 — Wyoming amends its sodomy law to prohibit fellatio, but not cunnilingus. The maximum penalty for sodomy also is reduced from life to 5 years.

1955 — The Colorado Supreme Court upholds a sodomy conviction and says the psychopathic offender law is optional with sentencing judges. The defendant wished to be declared such, but the court said that only "dangerous" offenders were. Despite not being "dangerous," he received 2-6 years in prison.

1962 — The Arizona Supreme Court upholds the fellatio conviction of a man with a teenage male. He acknowledged being Gay and said that the arresting police might be, too.

1963 — Nevada prohibits the release of anyone convicted under the "crime against nature" law unless certified by psychiatrists as not harmful to the health, safety or morals of others.